eling piece by piece, and I can feel it slipping further with every step I take.
And yet, for the first time in years, I feel something close to peace.
ga
That evening, I’m sitting in the quiet of my quarters, nursing a cup of tea and trying to sort through the mess of emotions and unwelcomed memories swirling in my chest, when there’s a knock at the door.
1 set the cup down and rise, opening the door to find Zion standing there.
He looks serious. More serious than I’ve ever seen him. His usual easygoing demeanor is gone, replaced by something resolute.
“Siena, he begins, his voice unusually soft. “Can I come in?”
I nod, stepping aside to let him in. He crosses the room and turns to face me, his dark eyes steady and earnest.
“When this is over,” he says, his tone careful but determined. “Td like to court you. Properly
The words catch me off–guard, and for a moment, I don’t know how to respond. Zion has always been kind to me and always supportive in a way that felt genuine and uncomplicated.
His offer is flattering, and there’s a part of me that wants to say yes–to take the chance at being someone’s first choice for
once
We stand three feet apart, but the space between us feels charged with possibility. Outside my window, the last light of day casts the mountains in gold, a beauty I’ve barely noticed these past weeks of conflict and strategy.
I study Zion’s face, the strong line of his jaw, the quiet confidence in his stance. He doesn’t fidget or rush to fill the silence- he simply waits, giving me the space to process his words.
How different he is from Raiden, whose presence dominates every room, whose emotions crash like waves against my
2/4
Chapter 37
11
Safety alter slanger.
The pesmise of something steady rather than passionate. Something built rather than fated
My fingers find the silver bracelet at my wrist–the token of my mate bond with Raiden. Though tarnished now, it still warms against my skin. I’ve tried to remove it countless times, but something always stops me. Pride, perhaps, or some foolish lingering hope
“My voice falters, and I clear my throat. Tm still legally bound to him
Zion mods, his expression somber. “I know. That’s why I said when this is over. The council will rule on the divolution soon.
You’ll be free”
The word echoes strangely in my mind. Is that what I want! Freedom from Raiden would mean freedom from the pain, the betrayal, the constant struggle for power and respect,
But it would also mean freedom from the moments of connection that still occasionally pierce our mutual defenses–those briel, shattering instances when our bond flares bright enough to remind me why the goddess chose us for each other.
Zion takes a careful step forward. “Tin not asking for an answer now. And I’m not be hesitates, choosing his words with characteristic precision, Tm not expecting to replace what you had. I know that’s not possible”
His honesty usiches me. Unlike so many others in the pack hierarchy, Zion has never played games or hadden behind political maneuvering. What you see is what you get–an increasingly rare quality in my world.
But as I search any feelings, I realize there’s nothing there. No spark. No pull. My wolf stirs uneasily, her loyalty still firmly tied to the mate who’s hurt us time and time again. She paces restlessly beneath my skin, neither rejecting Zion outright nor accepting him. Just.. uncertain.
Through the window, I watch an eagle sour above the valley–alone, powerful, self–sufficient. Once, I thought that was what I wanted. Now, I’m not so sure.
Ineed time, I say finally, my voice quiet but sincere. “But.. I appreciate the thought. More than you know.”
Relief flickers across his features–not because I didn’t refuse him outright, I think, but because I didn’t accept out of desperation or spite. He respects me enough to want a genuine choice.
Time is something I can give,” he says, a small smile softening his features. “We’ve both seen what happens when bonds are rushed or forced
The unspoken comparison to Raiden hangs in the air between us. Zion reaches out, his fingers brielly touching my shoulder in a gesture that’s friendly rather than possessive.
The contact is warm, comforting, but it doesn’t send electricity racing through my veins the way Raiden’s touch does, event
how.
Lance
“The summit starts tomorrow,” he continues, professional once more. “Whatever you decide. I’ll be there for you.”
Inod, grateful for the return to familiar ground. “Thank you. For everything, Zion”
As he turns to leave, the mate bond in my chest pulses once, sharply, as if in warning or protest. Raiden, somewhere across the compound, must have felt something
A reminder that whatever lies between us–love, hate, or the complicated tangle of both—it isn’t finished yet.
3/4
51%2
Chapter 57
Do you know Alpha? Do you know what your bestfriend has up his sleeve
The door closes quietly behind Zion, leaving me alone with the deepening shadows and the knowledge that tomorrow will change everything, one way or another.
I sit back down, staring into my half–empty cup of tea, and let out a slow breath.
For so long, I’ve been trapped in this cycle of hope and disappointment, of longing and rejection. I’ve let it define me, shape me, dictate how I see myself
But maybe it’s time to break free.
Maybe it’s time to choose myself, for once.
Even if it means letting go of the bond that still aches in my chest.
